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Sai a Lahira

Director Yakubu Mohammad
Producer UK Entertainment
Language Hausa
Released 2014
Starring Ali Nuhu, Jamila Umar Nagudu, Yakubu Mohammad, Ishaq Sidi Ishaq, Tijjani Asase

Imagine the emotional trauma when 20 years of life was stolen from you, imagine the suffering when you suddenly got separated from your pregnant wife and your parents for something you haven’t done or have an idea what it is… That’s what happened in UK Entertainment’s Sai A Lahira

Faruk (Ali Nuhu) was so happy on one fateful night because his beloved wife Na’ima (Jamila Nagudu) is pregnant that he went out at 11pm to buy her a fish as a gift, he barely stepped outside his house when he got captured by some prison authorities and sentenced to life imprisonment for charges of rape and attempted murder. Faruk did all what he can to tell them ‘bani bane’ (A phrase which later became his name in the prison) but the prison authorities turned a deaf ear to his plea.

Na’ima who incidentally saw him taken away ran to Faruk’s parents and told them what happened. They searched for Faruk everywhere from that day but they couldn’t find him. He’s vanished without a trace. Faruk’s parents and Na’ima were devastated. Na’ima later gave birth to a baby girl. Faruk’s parents assumed he’s dead and insisted that Na’ima should get married and continue with her life. Na’ima also insisted that her husband wasn’t dead but she had to succumb to their demand and 4 years later, she got married to Rufa’i (Yakubu Muhammad)

Meanwhile Faruk didn’t survive the emotional anguish and distress from the separation in the prison so much so that he suffered a depression disorder. All he could say was ‘bani bane’, a phrase which made him popular among the inmates. Accidentally, a thief inmate who once attempted stealing from him recognizes Faruk. He went and told Faruk’s parents about it after his release. When Rufa’i learns that Faruk was alive, he did all he can to find out how it happened. He discovered that Faruk was snatched by a corrupt head of Jajare Prison, CSP Bukar (Ishaq Sidi Ishaq) in a much larger conspiracy involving another inmate. Rufa’i did what he could to bring Faruk back home. Only that 20 years had gone, he’s lost his work, education and Na’ima had two more children with Rufa’i…. That set up a very emotional and heartfelt reunion and a dilemma between Faruk and Rufa’i with Na’ima at the center of it.

This is all seem like a clichéd plot but like most films written by Yakubu M Kumo, this one is also very well written with lovely emotional lines. Not only that, the director’s handling of the script is magnificent.

The film was set around 1993 when newly married bride rooms were decorated mostly with furniture. Na’ima’s room isn’t different, the chairs, the “Jeren ‘yar cotonou”, the curtains and even Na’ima and Faruk’s pictures hanging on the wall looked old. Rufa’i has an old vespa instead of the more recently used motorcycles like Kasea etc. Other settings such as the prison and their activities is perfect. For that, credit must go to Yaseen Auwal, his attention to detail is really impressive.

The performances in Sai A Lahira are superb and everyone plays their parts well. The lead characters invite your sympathy and attention that you might forgive Some of its flaws; like how Na’ima’s hair attachment remain the same throughout the film or how it’s so easy to treat depression disorder in a couple of hours or the fact that Ali Nuhu’s hair and beard was overdone that it looked artificial….

In a year when the industry is lacking enough good movies, Sai A Lahira inject enough faith for viewers to cheer it on. And it’s worth every penny of your purchase!

By: Ibrahim Umar Bello
Twitter: @aaramz

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film/sai_a_lahira.txt · Last modified: 2015/07/31 21:03 by admin